5 Hair Styling Hacks That Really DON’T Work

Hair is such a huge part of a person’s identity, but that does not mean that it should stay static and unchanging over time! Switching up your hairstyle or even the way you treat your hair can be a fun way to experiment with your look without having to commit to something long-term. Yes, a drastic change such as getting a pixie cut after a decade of long locks is a commitment, but it doesn’t have to last forever!

As people are more willing to experiment with their hair, we’ve seen heaps of articles flood the internet of anecdotal success with the latest and greatest hair hacks. But do all these hacks deserve the high praises they’re receiving?

Read on for 5 hair styling hacks that really do not work!

1. Faking your bangs

Most girls have a love-hate relationship with their bangs. It takes a lot of dedication to maintain them, and if you don’t like how they look after you’ve already snipped them off…well, you’re in for a rough few months until they grow back!

Beauty gurus all over the net have come up with tutorials showing you just how to fake bangs by creating a top bun and brushing forward the ends of your hair over your forehead. The result can work well for some people, but the vast majority of girls can’t really pull this off because of their regular hair type or treatments they’ve had done.

If you have short hair, curly hair, or layered hair, the bangs won’t look realistic. If your hair type is too thin or too thick, it’s hard to keep them in place as the hair will move throughout the day! It might look good for an Instagram photo, but if you are going out to run errands, the hairs will fall away! To remedy this, YouTuber Stella Cini fixed hers by wrapping a headband or donning a beanie to keep the faux bangs in place.

2. Egg hair mask

This mask is popular because you can separate and use either part of the egg to best suit your hair needs. The yolk of an egg is brimming with proteins, fatty acids, and vitamins that penetrate the hair follicle and can give you beautifully strong and healthy hair. Meanwhile the egg whites have gentle enzymes that eat away at bacteria and remove extra oils on the hair. Take caution with how many times a week you use this mixture, though. The yolk can sometimes be too rich for certain hair types and can lead to greasy hair, or the opposite: dry, brittle, and stiff hair.

Egg masks for your hair can be pretty effective so long as you make sure you follow all the guidelines to a T! We’ve heard horror stories of the messy concoction actually cooking on the scalp of inexperienced first-timers who attempted to wash off the mask with hot water! If you can’t stand washing your hair with cold water, it’s best to stay away from this mask altogether.

3. Bleaching with lemon juice

We’ve all been jealous of the natural blondes who get sun-kissed highlights in the summer. It’s true that a solution of lemon juice and water can lift hair color (especially in conjunction with the sun), but you won’t be able to get extreme highlights or platinum locks. You won’t be able to get anything other than a lighter honey-slanted brown if you’re a staunch brunette.

The heat of the sun activates the lemon juice, and the UV rays from the sun also help with lifting hair-color – but the results won’t be the same as what you would get at the salon. In fact, if you’ve done other color-treatments in the past, the deposited color will actually fade to a duller hue. If you want bright, fresh color, it’s best to purchase some UV-filter shampoos and conditioners and leave the rest to the professionals!

4. Washing hair with baking soda

No-poo loyalists swear by using just a baking soda paste to clean their hair as a chemical-light shampoo alternative. The reality is, it’s way too abrasive! Even dentists won’t recommend it for your teeth. Baking soda and vinegar is often used as effective household cleaners, and we all know that the human body is more sensitive to chemicals than the porcelain sink or the ceramic tiles on the floor. You’ll find recipes for color-stripping solutions that contain baking soda because it opens up the follicle and aids in removing dye deposits in the strands. If you use baking soda too much, you’ll find your hair super brittle and dry.

Many baking soda enthusiasts claim that baking soda rebalances the pH of your hair and scalp. But baking soda, NaHCO3, has a pH of 9 which is far higher than the natural pH of the scalp which sits at a 5.5. How can that possibly work to balance your pH for a healthy head of hair? If you are looking for a gentler alternative, it’s best to switch to baby shampoo or a pH balanced one!

5. Dying with Kool Aid

We’ve all heard about this hair dying hack when we were but young tweens who couldn’t afford the spunky colors we wanted so badly, or we were forbidden from going near bleach by our parents. Yes, if your hair base color is relatively light, you will see that your hair color will change after you apply this mixture; however, most times you’ll see a murky color or a reddish tinge if you use colors with any red in them.

Why is that? Kool Aid doesn’t lift your hair – it only deposits color. You won’t get vibrantly bright colors unless you bleach your hair first! If you have porous or damaged hair follicles, you’ll get uneven color results and it’ll all fade unevenly, too. Besides it being sticky and a potential insect trap, this “dye” can potentially stain your hair permanently along with your towels and pillow cases. For cheap, temporary color, just go buy some hair chalk and call it a day!

Hair styling hacks takeaway:

The most important lesson? Make sure that you know your hair type! Make note of how your scalp and strand conditions, and when you’re switching up hair products, make sure that you examine how your hair reacts. Remember, your hair’s condition can and will change with the seasons, so pay close attention, and treat your hair and scalp with care!